Abstract
Can one religion promote private property and its abolition? Are theories of property a necessary component of theology? If so, do they come as aprioristic conditions, necessary means, or subsequent products of a given theological framework? This study analyzes a tension at the heart of Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity: The coexistence of private property proponents and fierce critics within the same theological worldview and body politic. A study of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the biblical foundation (Acts 2:44), and the birth of monasticism, this talk will then explore the increasing divide in terms of Christian economic thought as Pachomius, Basil, Syncletica, and Augustine develop their theopolitical economies.
Presenters
Guillermo M. JodraVisiting Assistant Professor, Modern Languages & Literatures, The Catholic University of America, District of Columbia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Property, Poverty, Second Temple Judaism, Monasticism, Economics